This invention relates to screen printing apparatus, and more particularly to a manually operable screen printing module, any number of which are capable of being connected to each other to form a screen printing device of any desired size. This invention relates also with a drying device for fabrics printed by modular apparatus of the type described.
Most conventional screen printing machines are mounted along one edge thereof to pivot about a horizontal axis between a lower, horizontal position in which the screen printing takes place, and an upper or inclined position in which the screen is swung about its pivotal edge at an angle to the vertical. Moreover, most such prior machines are powered by motors or hydraulic devices, and therefore are expensive to manufacture and costly to replace. Still further, most such powered machines are designed for a specific purpose and for a single-size screen, so that if it is desired to utilize screens of different sizes it is necessary to purchase and maintain a variety of such machines, each having a differently-sized screen.
For example, although U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,084 discloses a manually-operable screen and printing device, the associated screen is designed to be pivoted along its rear edge into and out of its operative position. The disadvantage of such construction is that it is difficult to utilize the machine with any work other than plain, flat materials, which can be placed flat on the machine bed, so as to permit the screen to be pivoted downwardly thereover. Moreover, the machine is suitable for a screen of only one size, and in order to utilize a screen of a different size it is necessary to purchase a similar but larger machine.
There are a number of U.S. patents which disclose the use of vertically movable screens, rather than pivotal screens, such as for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,486,441; 4,305,331 and 4,054,091. The first two patents disclose devices which are not designed for manual operation, while the last discloses a footpedal-operated screen. It does not disclose a modular-type screen printing machine which is designed to be connected with one or more like modules to form a screen printing machine of any desired size.
Accordingly, the present invention has for its primary object to provide a relatively inexpensive, manually operable screen printing machine which can be manufactured in a rather small, modular form, so that two or more such machines can be connected in tandem to enhance the overall size of the screen which can be used, as compared to an individual module or machine.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved, manually operable machine of the type described in which the printing screen is mounted for vertical rather than pivotal movement between its operative and inoperative positions, respectively.
A further object of this invention is to provide a modular machine which utilizes a screen that is supported in cantilever fashion along one side edge thereof, so that the screen can be reciprocated vertically while remaining in a horizontal plane, and also so that two or more such modules can be connected together to increase the overall width and/or length of the associated screen.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.